Coin-controlled lavatory-lock.



No. 656,082. Patented Aug. I4,'l900. F. J. BEAUMONT. COIN CONTROLLED LAVATOBY LOCK.

(Application filed Mar. 18, 1900.)

v 2 S'haets-S eat I.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

FREDERIOKJOHN BEAUMONT, or LoNDoN, ENGLAND.

COIN-CONTROLLED LAVATOR-Y-LOCK.

srneIrIcA'rIoN forming part of Letters Patent No. 656,082, dated August 14, 1900. Application filed March 13, 1900. $erial No. 8 ,4'77. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK JOHN BEAU- MONT, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain,

residing at 21 Albany road, Stroud Green,

'Finsbury Park, London, England, have in- 'ratus used with the doors of lavatories and like places, so that any form of lock or catch can be employed.

The invention consists of adisk plate or box with one or more slots to suit the charges made for entry. The unemployed slots can be covered by an adjustable back plate. The back plate has a chute or pocket for receiving and holding the predetermined coin, which when the disk is turned by a handle comes against a flag or swing plate having its free end weighted so that the pressure swings the plate out of the way for the coin to press against a trigger to free the lock or catch bolt clear of the hasp or box, the door being simultaneously opened as the handle is being turned'to its extreme limit, by which time the flag has returned to its normal position for the reception of the next coin. The disk turns in one direction only-for the opening operation, its return movement for discharge of the coin being by balance-weight, spring, or other appliance attached to the locking catch or bolt and operating the same as at present. A half-turn of the disk will be sufficient for each opening of the door for entrance and a half-turn of a handle inside the door on exit. The return-motion of the coinreceiver can be governed by catch-plates engaging teeth or notches of the disk-chute or back plate.

My invention will be clearly understood by the annexed drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of a complete coinfreed lock with the plate covering the mechanism removedand showing such mechanism in position for receiving the desired coin. Fig. 2 is a side sectional elevation affixed to a door and showing the position of the outside and inside operating-handles, also the locki ng-bolt which carries the indicator. Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 1, but showing the mechanism in the position with the coin when the lock or catch is operated. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a complete lock. A is a slotted spindle carrying two plates BB, having guides or walls 0 O to form a coin-receptacle. This spindle A is pivoted to the back plate D and to the front plate E, from Where it projects for carrying a handle F. l g

The casing is formed with a circular track G, which 'has an opening H, and adjacent thereto is pivoted a weighted flag I, whose nose projects within the circular track G and between the plates B B for the purpose hereinafter explained. One or both of the plates B B have notches into which ratchet-pawls J, controlled by springs K, can enter, so as to prevent a full half-retu r11 movement of the plates and to hold them in their proper position for receiving a coin. Adjacent to this circular track G is fitted a lock Which may be of any construction, but for the purpose of illustration consists of a bolt L, controlled by spring M and provided with the usual handle N and operating cams or wipers. To this bolt L, I provide a pin P, which engages one end of a lever or trigger Q, pivoted to the casin g, the other end projecting Within the track G for the purpose hereinafter described.

1 R is a lever or arm which is pivoted on the spindle A and marked with the indication ,Enga-ged and Vacant, the portion bearing the indications riding in a curved slot situate, preferably, outside the top portion of. the track G. The lever or arm R is also provided, with a projecting pin S, which engages with the spindle T of a locking-bolt U, so that aperson inside the door actuating the handle V for shooting the bolt U to lock the door will actuate the lever B and expose the word Engaged to the outside of the lock, and on the reverse movement of the handle for unlocking the door will expose the word Vacant.

W is the money receiving portion of the ap paratus, accessible by a door X.

A coin is inserted in the coin-slot Y and passes through one of the slots Z of the front plate B, resting upon one of the stops at a of one of the guides C. The handle F is now ICC operated and the coin travels in its pocket around the track G, and when the handle is turned about half-around the coin comes in contact with the nose of the flag I, and in so doing will depress the nose to close the opening II, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, the coin in so doing passing over same, the flag I then resuming its normal position immediately the coin has passed. The coin, still travcling, next comes in contact with the projecting end of the lever or trigger Q, as shown in Fig. 2, and acting against same will cause the opposite end to actuate the lock-bolt L, and thus free the door for opening. The coin can travel no farther in this direction, and on the pressure on the handle F being removed the spring M, through the bolt L, will return the trigger Q to its normal position, and in so doing the coin and plate B will be returned until the coin comes opposite the opening H,th rough which it falls into the coin-box YV, the flagI having returned to its normal position for freeing said opening, and at the same time prevent any possible return travel of the handle and consequent replacement of the coin in its original position for fraudulent extraction through the slot Y. The door having been unlocked and opened, the person enters the room or chamber and in so doing closes the door behind him, the catch L giving way and locking the door in the usual manner, and to indicate outside the door that the room or chamber is engaged the handle V is moved to shoot the bolt U into its recess in the hasp or door-stile and at the same time exhibit outside the indication Engaged, showing that the room or chamber is occupied, and when the person desires to leave theroom or chamher action on the handle V will remove the bolt U from the hasp or door-stile and exhibit the word Vacant, and a turn on the handle N will free the bolt L to enable the door to be opened. Should a smaller coin than the size intended to be used with the apparatus be inserted in the coin-slot Y, it will not rest on the stop a, but will pass the same and through the slot in the spindle A and drop into the money-box IV, so that the mechanism cannot be operated. Thus it will be seen that the handle F is given rather more than a half-turn for each operation and the spring M, through the bolt L and trigger Q, returns the handle F to its half-turn position for a fresh operation on the insertion of another coin in the other slot Z of the front plate B and at the same time discharging the previously-inserted coin into the moneybox W.

\Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a coin-controlled lock, the combination with the lock-bolt and actuating means therefor, of a coin-conveyer arranged to support and carry a coin in the path of said boltactuating means so that said coin will engage said means to move the bolt, and means for rotating said coin-conveyor, substantially as described.

2. In a coin-controlled lock, the combination with the lock-bolt and actuating means therefor, of coin-conveying disks arranged to support and carry a coin in the path of said bolt-actuating means so that said coin will engage said means to move the bolt, a track surrounding said disks and having an opening therein adjacent to the bolt-actuating means, a device for closing said opening durin g the passage of a coin thereover, and means for rotating said coin-conveying disks, substantially as described.

In a coin-controlled lock, the combination with the lock-bolt and actuating means therefor, of a pair of rotary coin-conveying disks arranged to support and carry a coin in the path of said bolt-actuating means so that said coin will engage said means to move the bolt, means for rotating said disks in one direction, and means for preventing back= ward rotation thereof, substantially as described.

TLIn a coin-controlled lock, the combination with the lock-bolt and actuating means therefor, of coin-conveying disks arranged to support and carry a coin in the path of said bolt-actuating means so as to engage said means to move the bolt, a track surrounding the disks and having a coin-outlet opening therein adjacent to the bolt-actuating means, a pivoted flag arranged to be actuated by a coin to close said opening during its passage thereover, means for rotating said disks in one direction, and a pawl for preventing rotation of the disks in the opposite direction, substantially as described.

5. In a coin-controlled lock, the combination with the spindle A, having a transverse coin-slot therethrough, of coin-carrying disks mounted on said spindle, a track surrounding the coin-disks and having an opening therein disposed below the slotted spindle, a lock-bolt, and actuating means therefor projecting into said track in position to be actuated by the coin carried by the disks, substantiall y as described.

6. In a coin-controlled lock, the combination with the lock-bolt and actuating means therefor, of a coin-conveyer arranged to positively move the coin over a coin-slot and into contact with the bolt-actuating means to operate the bolt, a pivoted flag arranged in the path of the coin and adapted to be actuated thereby to close said coin-slot during the passage of the coin thereover, and means for operating the coin-conveyer, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wituesses.

FREDERICK JOHN BEAUMONT. lVitnesses:

EDMUND S. SNEWIN, PERCY E. MATToo s.

IIO 

